Part 15 (1/2)
”Where is my Nyssomu nurse, Immu?” Anigel demanded. ”She was swept away into the flood with me. Do you hold her captive as well?”
The sorcerer shook his head. ”I know naught of her. There was only a single Ruwendian knight and some men-at-arms there in the Mazy Mire, who attacked my servants as they were carrying you through the viaduct.”
”Sir Olevik! What happened to him?”
Orogastus shrugged. ”He and his men were killed in the affray, blasted to ashes by our invincible weapons.”
The sorcerer's offhandedness filled the Queen with renewed indignation. ”Free me!” she cried, straining at her bonds. ”How dare you tie me to the bed like some base criminal?”
Orogastus said, ”The restraints were only to keep you from squirming during the six days that you healed, unconscious. We could not have your valued bones mend crooked.”
”Why have you abducted me? I give you fair warning-neither my Royal Husband nor the Archimage Haramis will submit to you in order to spare my life and those of the babes I carry. I am no longer the coward who supinely handed you her talisman four years ago! Now I am prepared to die if your evil schemes are thereby defeated.”
Orogastus smiled and pushed back his long white hair with one slender hand. ”I would much prefer that you live, Queen Anigel, but the decision is entirely up to you. We shall discuss the matter later.” He turned to the female of the Star Guild. ”Naelore-loose the Queen and help her to dress, then conduct her to the secure hall. I will be waiting with the others.” He left the room, closing the door behind him.
Not bothering to disguise her contempt, the Star Woman flipped the coverlet from Anigel's body. ”I shall serve as your tiring-maid this once, Queen. But if it had been up to me, you would have done your recovery in the dungeons, together with your haughty fellow-rulers.”
”What? You hold other monarchs captive as well? Who?”
Naelore bent to Anigel's ankles, releasing them, then unfastened the padded cuffs at her wrists. ”You'll find out about that soon enough.” None too gently, the Star Woman helped the Queen to sit up.
Anigel discovered that she was swaddled about the loins like an infant, otherwise naked except for her Black Trillium amulet. Peculiar yellowish material, delicate and shriveled as the skin of a boiled yarkil, fell away in shreds from her right s.h.i.+n, her left forearm, and the left side of her rib cage when she swung her feet slowly to the floor. Another great patch of the stuff dropped from her left shoulder, disintegrating into fine flakes as it fell among the bedclothes.
”What is this?” Anigel asked, brus.h.i.+ng it from her body.
”Bone-mender,” the redheaded woman said shortly. ”Part of the Master's miraculous paraphernalia.” She rummaged in a cupboard and set out underlinen, then opened a chest and shook out a curiously styled gown of gra.s.s-green brocade. It was very light in weight, having a myriad of tiny yellow feather rosettes affixed to it with embroidery.
Anigel stretched, running her fingers through her unbound blond hair. It seemed quite clean. ”I suppose my other garments were ruined.”
”As was your regal body, until the Master worked his healing enchantment upon it.” Naelore's lips twisted in a fastidious grimace. ”There is a basin and a ewer for was.h.i.+ng in that alcove, and a necessarium behind the small door. Don't dawdle about.”
Anigel did not condescend to reply, but made her toilette as quickly as she could. She donned the undergarments and the dress, then coiled her hair at the nape of her neck and fastened it with two gilded wooden pins. Naelore had laid out a yellow-and-green featherwork girdle for her waist and a cloak of ocher wool. Soft shoes of brown leather with emerald feather puffs completed the outfit.
Anigel surveyed herself with pleased satisfaction, arranging the amber amulet with its fossil Black Trillium so that it lay on her breast. ”Thank you for providing me with suitable attire, Naelore.”
”It was not I,” the Star Woman replied brusquely, ”but our Master who selected your clothes. And here is one last ornament for you to put on.” She held out a pair of golden wrist-gyves connected by a chain. In silence, Anigel allowed herself to be shackled.
”Now come along,” Naelore commanded. ”They will be waiting for us.” She headed for the door.
”One question,” Anigel said, pausing before the feather tapestry showing the female warrior among the fiery fountains. ”Is this a depiction of you yourself?”
”No,” said the Star Woman. For the first time a smile untinged by discourtesy touched her lips. ”It is my ancestress, for whom I was named, and who built this castle. She also was unjustly deprived of her empire. But she regained it-as I shall, very soon.”
Anigel followed Naelore through stone corridors, looking about with keen interest. Could this place possibly be the headquarters of the Star Guild that Haramis had thus far sought in vain? If this was truly Sobrania, and not one of its benighted subkingdoms, she might be able to escape with the help of her Black Trillium and throw herself upon the mercy of Emperor Denombo. He made alliances with no nation, but he was fiercely chivalrous and would surely give her sanctuary until Haramis or some other rescuer arrived...
”In here,” Naelore said, gesturing to an open door. Within was a small hall, a kind of withdrawing room with only narrow slits for windows. Silver oil-lamps hanging along the walls gave additional illumination. Still, it took some minutes before Anigel was able to determine who the other occupants of the chamber were.
Nine chairs were ranged about a large round table in the center of the room.
Orogastus sat in one seat and another beside him was empty, presumably awaiting her. The other places were occupied by five men and two women, all shackled as Anigel was with gilded handcuffs. Behind each prisoner stood a man of the Star Guild armed with one of the peculiar weapons of the Vanished Ones.
”Welcome, Queen of Laboruwenda,” said Orogastus, inclining his head in an urbane gesture of respect. ”You know everyone else at the table, I think.”
And so she did. Appalled at the recognition, Anigel let her eyes rove over her fellow-captives, who wore expressions ranging from sullen anger to debonair unconcern.
At the right hand of the sorcerer sat an insouciant elderly couple dressed in old-fas.h.i.+oned court finery: the Eternal Prince Widd and the Eternal Princess Raviya of the Isles of Engi. The three soberly attired men across the table were President Hakit Botal of Okamis, and the Duumviri Prigo and Ga-Bondies, who jointly governed the Imlit Republic. The crimson-gowned matronly woman with the wry smile was Queen Jiri of Galanar. Between her and the chair intended for Anigel, slouched down in his seat and glowering like a caged gradolik, sat Ledavardis of Raktum, a man twenty years of age, whose malformed stocky body and unattractive countenance had earned him the nickname of the Goblin Kinglet.
Anigel had last seen him three months earlier, when he had come to Ruwenda Citadel to ask for the hand of her daughter Janeel in marriage. The splendidly garbed young monarch who had come as a suitor to Ruwenda Citadel was hardly to be recognized now. The raiment of King Ledavardis was torn and filthy, as though his capture had not been easily accomplished. A stained bandage covered his left eye, while the right one was bloodshot and the skin around it bruised. The chains of his handcuffs were twice as thick as those of the others.
”Oh, my poor friends,” Anigel murmured. ”What a sad meeting!”
”Sorry to see they nabbed you, too, sweeting,” the Eternal Princess Raviya piped. ”Fine kettle offish, isn't it?”
The Eternal Prince Widd grinned with perfect good humor. ”Seven days ago we were playing knockers on the esplanade green with our great-grandchildren, when a couple of starry blokes popped out of nowhere at the blue wicket and hauled us away. The scoundrels warned the young folks that we'd be killed if anything was said about the kidnapping.”
”The Star Men threatened to maim all of my precious daughters if word of my abduction got out,” said Queen Jiri.
The elected officials of Okamis and Imlit nodded in unison. They had all made marriages with the royal house of Galanar, wedding three of Jiri's brood of nine princesses. President Botal said, ”Every one of us was s.n.a.t.c.hed through those weird magical trapdoors-or whatever you call 'em.”
”We call them viaducts,” said Orogastus courteously. ”Please be seated, Queen Anigel, and we will begin our conference.”
Naelore led Anigel to the empty chair. Then the Star Woman drew up the hood of her silvery robe to cover her flaming hair, took a small object from an inner pocket of her garment, and stationed herself at the Queen's back.
”Lowborn conjurer!” cried King Ledavardis, starting up from his chair and lifting his chained fists threateningly. ”It will do you no good to hold me captive. Do you think the sovereign nation of Raktum will ever accept you as its overlord? Not until the Three Moons turn to spiny melons!”
He would have continued his tirade, but Orogastus frowned and made an impatient gesture. Naelore abruptly stepped away from her position behind Anigel's chair, lifted the slender metallic device she held, and tapped the King's shoulder with it.
Ledavardis's scream shook the rafters. The other prisoners started with shock, then hurled exclamations of outrage at the calm-faced Star Woman. The young King dropped back into his chair, gasping.
”Whether or not Raktum will accept me as its liege lord is not a point we will debate now,” Orogastus said, when the disturbance diminished. ”It suffices that its ruler and all the rest of you are now my prisoners. You will remain here in Castle Confla-grant, hostages to the good behavior of your nations, until a certain plan of mine matures.”
”What plan is that?” Queen Jiri inquired innocently.
Orogastus said, ”We will discuss its details in due course, Majesty, when we are all better acquainted.”
”Hmph,” snorted the Duumvir Prigo. He was a spare individual with crafty brown eyes and the prim manner of a scholar. ”How long do you intend to hold us here, wizard?”
”It may be for some time, Excellency,” Orogastus admitted.
”Until the leaders of the other countries are also captured?”
Hakit Botal persisted. ”And the government of the world dissolves into chaos?”
The smile on the face of Orogastus vanished. ”The Archimage Haramis has unfortunately given warning concerning the viaduct locations. I think those rulers who are still at liberty will be more wary of abduction from now on. But no matter. I have the most important of you in my power.”
Yes, Anigel thought. Except for one: my own husband, Antar! The other rulers who remain free are either weaklings, like old King Fiomadek of Var-or else, like Yondrimel of Zinora and Emiling of Tuzamen, already inclined to ally with the sorcerer...
The pale eyes of Orogastus held a fearsome, implacable gleam. ”You will all remain here as hostages, insuring that your subjects do not hinder my activities, until the Sky Trillium announces my great victory to the whole world.”